Sunday Confessions

Monday, 6 July 2015

1. I have only just discovered Trisha's Southern Kitchen, the Food Network show starring country star Trisha Yearwood. I think I might have finally found my southern home cooking heaven - I tried to get into Pioneer Woman but her whole shtick just makes me cringe: "Gotta get these six courses and a dessert cooked for the kids/husband/everyone I've ever met that I need to feed because that's my job in life!" - manic grin, she's just way too happy to be a domestic servant. I just recoil from it, instinctively. Plus her food seems kinda gross a lot of the time tbh. Trisha is a bit more classy and modern. Plus I saw her sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" years ago in Times Square and she was amazing. Plus she was in my all time favorite little indie movie about country singers "The Thing Called Love" starring River Phoenix (and a v.young Sandra Bullock!). I don't go in for mainstream country music really but Trisha's cool by me, so I will be tuning in for some southern cooking tips! Something about this time of year I do miss America a lot (4th of July, actual summer weather, how could I not!) and little things like watching American cookery shows make me feel more connected to the homeland.

2. I had a thing last week where I had my period (yeah, look away now anyone cringed out by period talk, though it's not too graphic really!), and I ran out of period stuff, because my periods nowadays last a couple of days longer than they used to even though they're much lighter generally. So anyway I was rummaging around the bathroom closet when I found some absolutely ancient maxi pads. It was a sort of menstrual archaeological dig back in time! (I think they were given to me by M.I.L. when I was caught short at her house, and thrifty lass that I am I held on to them just in case!). Anyway ginormo pads are better than nothing, so I was grateful for them, but MY GOD HOW DID WE LIVE LIKE THAT?! The ungodly bulk, it felt like I was wearing an actual diaper. And I remember them from my younger days, because yes I've had a period for almost 30 years now, holy crap am I old! And I remember stories form my Mom about wearing the pads that were held up by a sort of belted device, how far we have come on!

It just got me thinking, what will women be using 30 years from now? Will we even have periods? So many women just opt out with the pill now, which I used to do occasionally but can't anymore because I can't be on the pill because I had a blood clot in my leg but that's a whole other story! Anyway, there's an ad on t.v. now where they at least attempt to be ironic/irreverent with the "You have your period, you're free to ride a bike and do cartwheels!" thing by showing old video (probably a recreation) of women being told not to stray too far from home when they have their periods....but you know what...actually, I like not having to stray too far from home when I have my period. I do not feel like doing cartwheels on the beach, I feel like sitting under a hot water bottle and watching trashy t.v. with a steady diet of salt and sugar. It would be nice if just once an ad for Always or Tampax would be a tiny bit honest about this. I am not overcome with an urge to wear flippy skirts and exercise when I have menstrual cramps and bleeding, and I think it's ok and beyond time for us to be allowed to admit this!

3. I may or may not be plotting to murder (I KID!) my downstairs neighbor, who has become possessed with the urge to learn piano. On an actual sodding piano, not a keyboard or other more flat-friendly noise making device. So for hours everyday and often at night at the moment the soundtrack is endless plonking scales. I really am about to throttle them. Or play my music obnoxiously loudly in the hopes it will throw them off. Not a surprise as her husband plays acoustic guitar (badly) which is another flat common courtesy no no. Ah to live in the country without neighbors, it really is sounding more and more appealing.

4. I did something scary. I applied to be an extra in a local t.v. production filming soon (apparently a period drama). And well...I don't think it's happening because I haven't heard anything back. I know extra work is all about a very specific physical cattle call - you give them your exact measurements and physical traits and flaws, so it's hardly got anything to do with acting or experience. But I won't lie, just being vaguely attached to something I associate with approval or rejection, acting, it does feel a bit crap if I don't get called for it - even though they might only be looking for petite brunettes or amputee blondes or some other very specific shape I don't fit. But I don't know, it still felt exciting to try for something like that again, so I might try again for something else, once I get over feeling like a big fat reject!

Anywhere here's a track from one of my favorite dreamy moody summer albums, Joy Zipper American Whip, Dosed and Became Invisible.

6 comments

Pioneer woman creeps me out too, is feminism dead there? Laughing at your period update I remember the huge pads, very uncomfy and conspicuous and never stayed put. Well done on applying as an extra, stick in there and good luck!

I mean she seems happy enough with her homeschooling cowboy lifestyle, it just creeps me out personally and I feel like it's sold in America as some kind of aspirational life which is just so backwards to me. I actually got contacted about the extra thing but they are filming in the middle of nowhere and not providing any transport so I don't think it's going to work out this time :-(

So I had never heard of Trisha's Southern Kitchen, even though I enjoy her music, so I looked it up and it just looks really complicated - mind you, I'm a pretty lazy cook. Sorry about the piano thing - that sucks! I once had a neighbor who played the bongos at all hours of the night. People are so weird.

I'm a super lazy cook too, generally. I totally just watch cooking shows, think "Yeah I'm making that!" and never do lol! I find them weirdly soothing though. Nigella does pretty simple things I can usually handle though again, I buy the cookbook and cook a few things and forget about it. Oh man bongos trump piano I think!

About Me

Hi! I'm Steff. I'm an American who lives in Scotland. Expect me to write about a little bit of everything! My most recent passion is body positivity and learning to embrace health at any size. I am a film/t.v. addict and cancer survivor so I write about that sometimes too...no niche yet found! :-)